Don Gillis (1912-1978) was a prolific composer, arranger, and music educator. He began his career in radio in Dallas, Texas, in the 1930s and rose to become a well-travelled conductor and composer in the 1940s and a radio producer for NBC's Symphony of the Air during the Toscanini era. In the 1960s and 1970s he was vice-president of Interlochen Music Camp and joined the faculties of Southern Methodist University, Dallas Baptist College, and the University of South Carolina. Don Gillis composed in virtually all contemporary styles and genres. His music is accessible and engaging, often satirical with whimsical titles and alive with humor. He enjoyed American musical idioms of jazz, be-bop, and the blues and his compositions often reflect a wonderful sense of regional flavor and Americana. Read his complete biography here.